Intro to Environmental Science Midterm Chap 1,2,5,6,7

Which of the following is NOT true when comparing Least-Developed countries and Most-Developed Countries?

Carbon dioxide emissions (a measure of both energy use and contributions to global warming) are 150 times greater in poor countries.

Drag the representation that best shows the current or future trend of the following environmental issues. In addition, drag a descriptionfor how each issue is changing to the issue it best describes.

Climate Change:Sun diagram Increased Commitment from governments to reduce carbon emissions and increase reliance on renewable energy Overpopulation:People graph Sociological changes such as increased educational opportunities for women have helped decrease fertility rates Biodiversity loss:Tress graph Increases in numbers of preserves and parks decreases rates of deforestation

biomagnification

Increase in concentration of certain stable chemicals in successively higher trophic levels of a food chain

After the year 1600, the human population began to grow more rapidly, owing to which of the following factors?

Increases in commerce and communication on a global scale, new agricultural developments, and better health care and improved hygiene

Human population levels from the time of the Agricultural Revolution to the present depict a ______- shaped curve.

J

persistence

Resistance of chemical compounds to degradation

what is chaparral?

a type of drought-adapted shrub-land

neurotoxins

attack nerve cells

teratogens

cause defects during growth and development

carcinogens

cause unchecked cell growth

what does "d" mean?

change

mutagens

damage or otherwise alter DNA sequences

what does mortality mean?

death

It is known that certain macroinvertebrates (small aquatic organisms) are sensitive to polluted waters. Stonefly larvae, for example, are very sensitive to polluted water and low dissolved oxygen. You collect a lot of stonefly larvae in your study of a local stream and conclude that this stream has high levels of dissolved oxygen and is minimally polluted. Your conclusion is an example of

deductive reasoning

what does thermocline mean?

distinctive temperature transition zone that separates warm upper layer and deeper cold layer

The damage to an ecosystem caused by a hurricane or flood can be referred to as

disturbance

Malthus argued that ______________ is the ultimate cause of social and environmental problems, and Marx argued that population growth ____________ social and environmental problems.

excess population growth; results from

In the real world, many factors determine the numbers of organisms in any one population. Yet, a "superfly" with unlimited food and no mortality would show what type of growth?

exponential growth

A metapopulation is one in which genetic diversity is much reduced.

false

Density-independent factors that control population density tends to be biotic components of the ecosystem.

false

Explosive growth better characterizes logistic growth than exponential growth.

false

toxin are only harmful in large doese?

false

Proponents of social justice believe that environmental and social problems will decrease if

resources are distributed fairly

what does inductive reasoning mean?

reasoning from many specific observations to produce a general rule

The idea that the results from tests and experiments should be reproducible, otherwise the conclusions are probably incorrect is referred to as

repeatability

Experiments in which conditions are deliberately altered and all other variables are held constant are known as ___________ experiments.

manipulative

All scientific explanations have a level of _________ because they are based on evidence (data), hence, our knowledge is always subject to change as new evidence appears.

uncertainty

The concept that the forces that shaped the world in the past are still operating today, and will continue to do so in the future is known as

uniformitarianism

left hand side

y-axis, dependent variable

what does carrying capacity mean?

the maximum number of individuals of a particular species that can be supported by a given ecosystem on a long-term basis

littoral zone

the shallow zone of soil and water in lakes and ponds where most algae and emergent plants grow

what does "t" mean?

time

testable questions

to find out whether a theory is correct, it must be tested; we formulate testable statements to test theories

The temperate broad-leaved forest has become the most supportive of human occupation of any major biome.

true

an ordinary substance can be harmful if over-consumed

true

bottom side

x-axis, independent variable

The average fertility rate for the entire world is approximately

2.4

what statements about sytems and feedback are true?

-Both positive and negative feedback can lead to system instability and collapse. -A system is essentially a network, with materials and energy flowing from one component to another. -With positive feedback, an increase in a state variable leads to further increases in that same variable. -With negative feedback, an increase in a state variable leads to further increases in that same variable. -all systems are closed

Classify each question about polluted waterways by dragging the correct type of knowledge or discipline necessary to answer that question.

-Chemistry=What are the pollutant found in the waterway? -Public Health=How to share factual information regarding the water that the public can understand and use? -biology=How are the contaminants affecting fish and wildlife populations? -medicine=what are the pollutants found in the waterway? what are the health impacts if the pollutants are found in drinking water? -economics=What is the cost to the public and to municipal drinking water facilities to clean the contaminated water? -engineering=How to develop a process that can prevent contamination or remove contamination from the waterway? -political science=How to develop policies to prevent water pollution and hold polluters accountable?

temperate grassland

-Has seasonal temperatures with about seven months of the year averaging above freezing. The same seasons with the warmest temperatures also have the most rainfall. -few trees due to not enough rainfall -thick organic soil -much converted to farmland

Match the environmental philosophy with the appropriate description.

-Resources should be conserved for the ultimate long-term benefit of human beings: Pragmatic Resource Conservation-Resources should be conserved for the benefit of all organisms, not just humans: Nature preservation on moral/aesthetic grounds-Current levels of damage due to pollution and resource exploitation should be mitigated, and if possible, reversed, for the health benefit of humans and other species: Modern Environmentalism-Preservation of all Earth systems is the responsibility of the global community: Global Environmentalism

temperate rainforest

-Shows seasonal temperatures with average temperatures above freezing nine months of the year. However, there is seasonal rainfall with the lowest amount occurring in the summer. -cool, rainy forest mostly in fog -mild temps

Place a sustainable and unsustainable practice that addresses each of the environmental issues

-Sustainable: planting ¨cover¨ crops to present erosion (protect soil), use of renewable energies (protect atmosphere), reduce poverty and increase healthcare (reduce effects of population growth)-Unsustainable: overgrazing of herds on grasslands (protect soil), use of fossil fuels (protect atmosphere), raise everyone to the standard of living of affluent countries (reduce effects of population growth)

what is the difference between biocentric preservation and utilitarian conservation?

-biocentric preservation: a philosophy that emphasizes the fundamental right of living organisms to exist and to pursue their own goods. -Utilitarian conservation: philosophy that resources should be used for the greater good for the greatest number for the longest time., preserves the land for future generations

Select all of following statements that are true about wetlands?

-can act as a buffer for flooding -only account for 5% of the surface of the US -1/3 of all endangered species use wetlands to mate or raise their young -difficult to protect wetland because they have no monetary benefit -wetlands are defined by the depth of water -not good farmland, safe from development

Select all of the following ecosystems that are known to have high levels of biodiversity?

-coral reefs -estuaries -oceans

wetlands

-erosion protection -drained for farmland -these ecosystems help to filter and purify water removing nutrients and contamination from urban run off

coral reefs

-exotic species for pet industry -biodiversity -these complex structured habitats offer shelter to countless life forms. Because they occur in shallow water, algae grows on the structure providing food for the inhabitants

what does hypothesis vs. theory?

-hypothesis=a testable explanation -theory=a description or explanation that has been supported by a large number of tests and is considered by experts to be reliable

what all applies to density-dependent population factors?

-interspecific interactions

tropical rainforests

-lumber -climate and water regulation -humid regions in the tropics that support one of the most complex and biologically rich -ample rainfall and uniform temperatures -cloud forests=high mountains where fog and mist keep vegetation continually wet and cool -soil tends to be thin, acidic, and nutrient poor

What are some of the issues with antibiotics and the resistance with it?

-many people don't finish the bottle which create new strains -MRSA is spreading through hospitals in US and China

Match the following terms with its proper definition

-moral extensionism=Over time we have gradually extended our sense of moral value to a wider and wider circle. -inherent value=An intrinsic right to exist. -instrumental value=They have value because they are useful to someone who matters. -moral value=worth

Estuary

-nearly 2/3 of all marine fish and shellfish rely on these site for reproduction and growth

What does Utilitarian Conservationist believe?

-preserve wild spaces for future generations

what are factors in prontalist pressures?

-source of pleasure, pride, comfort -source of support for elderly parents -current source of family income and labor -social status -replace members in society as they die

Mangrove

-these salt tolerant trees stabilize the shoreline and reduce the severity of storm damage to coastlines

what are some of the signs of pseudoscience?

1. How reliable are the sources? 2. Have the claims been verified by other sources? 3. What position does the majority of the scientific community hold in this issue? 4. How does this claim fit with what we know about how the world works? 5. Are the arguments balanced and logical? 6. What do you know about the sources of funding for a particular position? 7. Where was evidence for competing theories published?

What are the steps in order on the flow chart to illustrate the scientific process?

1. identify question 2. form testable hypothesis 3. develop a test of the hypothesis 4. collect data 5. interpret results 6. report for peer review

What is the human population trajectory in 2050?

9.7 million

Sustainable development (SD) impacts many areas of society (i.e. population growth, consumption, poverty, health care, agriculture, etc.). Match the benefits of sustainable development (SD) to the area that it impacts the most.

Consumption-SD increases the amount of resources available Population growth-SD increases social and economic stability of states and families Health care-SD reduces disease and accidents, which saves lives and the state money Agriculture-SD reduces soil degradation

What is pragmatic conservationist?

For the greatest good for the greatest number for the longest time

tropical rainforest

Has no seasonal changes in temperature and abundant rainfall the entire year.

temperate deciduous forest

Has seasonal temperatures with nine months out of the year averaging above freezing and precipitation all year.

tropical savanna

Has steady, warm temperatures all year, but seasonal rainfall with drought conditions up to six months of a year.

boreal forest

Has two distinct seasons with four months above freezing in summer, and average temperatures below freezing the rest of the year.

What does toxin mean?

Poisonous chemicals that react with specific cellular components to kill cells or to alter growth or development in undesirable ways; often harmful, even in diluted concentrations.

bioaccumulation

The selective absorption and concentration of molecules by cells

Who is Gifford Pinchot?

Theodore Roosevelt conservation advisor "everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength....

empiricism

We can learn about the world by careful observation of empirical phenomena; we can expect to understand fundamental processes and natural laws by observation

natural experiment

a study of events that have already happened

Bioaccumulation is a natural process where cells selectively (a) _______ and store different molecules, some of which may be harmful. As illustrated in the example graph, biomagnification occurs when the toxic molecules being stored in organisms at a (b) ________ trophic level accumulate and become (c) _______ by a predator at a (d) ________ trophic level.

a. absorb b. lower c. concentrated d. higher

As illustrated here, risk (a) _________ involves organizing and analyzing data to (b) _________. In contrast, risk (c) ________ involves setting priorities and evaluating different factors in order to (d) __________.

a. assessment b. determine relative risk c. management d. make regulatory decisons

As indicted in the graph, birthrates in a country tend to (a)_______ as its citizens become (b)_________ affluent. This results in an (c) ______ relationship between population growth and economic output as measured by GDP.

a. decrease b. more c. inverse

As indicated in the figure, open ocean communities can be characterized by their water (a)______ and (b)______ shore. Communities that lie within the water column are referred to as (c)________ and those on the on the bottom are called (d)_________.

a. depth b. proximity to c. pelagic d. benthic

As indicted in the graph, the average life expectancy in a country tends to (a) _________ as its citizens become (b) ________ affluent. This results in a (c) ______relationship between life expectancy and economic output as measured by GDP.

a. increase b. more c. direct

As illustrated below, when a population grows beyond the carrying capacity of an area, it is referred to as (a)_________. This causes a (b)________ where the population declines until it falls back below the carrying capacity. This repeated cycle can lead to a (c)__________ in the carrying capacity, which in turn will lead to (D)________ populations.

a. overshoot b. diebacks c. decline d. smaller

Wetlands are described by their types of vegetation. A forested wetland is referred to as a (a)_______, whereas a wetland without trees is called a (b)_______. In contrast, a wetland mostly composed of saturated ground is known as a (c)_______.

a. swamp b. marsh c. bog

what does science strive for?

accuracy and reproducibility

what is a die back?

also called population crash, a dieback in the population to a level below the carrying capacity

Vertical zonation shows that not only do different biomes occur at different latitudes, but also at different ______________.

altitudes

double-blind experiment

an experiment in which neither the experimenter nor the subjects know, until after the gathering and analysis of the data, which was the experimental treatment and which was the control

manipulative experiment

an experiment in which some conditions are deliberately altered while other are held constant to study case-and-effect relationships

blind experiment

an experiment in which those carry out the experiment don't know, until after gathering and analysis of data, which was the experimental treatment and which was the control

what does life expectancy mean?

average age a newborn can expect to attain in any given society

uniformitarianism

basic patterns and processes are uniform across time and space; the force at work today are the same as those that shaped the world in the past, and they will continue to do so in the future

estuaries

bay or semi-enclosed bodies of brackish water that forms where rivers enter the ocean

Stage 4: Post-industrial

birth and death rates stabilize has declining growth rates

What are the factors that contribute to rate of growth?

births, immigration, deaths, emigration

what is a biome?

broadly similar environmental conditions

Widespread starvation is an example of _________ population control.

density-dependent

In _______ countries, population growth rates are low, but the number of resources used per person is extremely high.

developed

What are pathogens?

disease-causing organisms

Using careful observations of real, observable phenomena to understand fundamental processes and natural laws is called

empiricism

what has caused a deduction in death rates in recent centuries?

environmental impact, population size, affluence, technology

_________________ combines civil rights with environmental protection to demand a safe, healthy, life-giving environment for everyone

environmental justice

stage 3: industrial

fewer reason to have kids birth rate drops

Island biogeography explains the phenomenon of _______ terrestrial species on islands small and far from the mainland when compared to larger islands that are closer to the mainland and have __________ terrestrial species.

fewer; more

what happens to the temp and precipitation when you go up a mountain?

gets cold and wet

what does exponential growth mean?

growth at a constant rate of increase per unit, time has no limit

stage 2: industrializing

healthcare improves death rate drops

Which of the following population characteristics is generally associated with developing countries?

high child mortality

stage 1: Pre-modern

high mortality rate high birth rate

what does morbidity mean?

illness

Which of the following is NOT a factor contributing to decreased life expectancy?

improved santiation

Sustainable development means

improving people's live in the present in a way that can continue far into the future

s curve

increase in competition, increase in disease transmission, human development, density of organisms.

j curve

increase in food availability, increase in conservation

In cases of exponential growth rates, a population ________ each year.

is multiplied by a constant number

what does logistic growth mean?

is t in which that the growth rate depends on the density-dependent of the population

uncertainity

knowledge changes as new evidence appears, and explanations change with new evidence. Theories based on current evidence should be tested on additional evidence, with the understanding that new data may disprove the best theories

The longest period of life that a given type of organism can reach is known as

life span

what does deductive reasoning mean?

logical reasoning from general to specific

Which of the following is a collection of populations that have regular or intermittent gene flow between geographically separate units.

metapopulation

Density-independent factors tend to be

more associated with abiotic factors

what does "N" mean?

number

How do you define fertility?

number of children born to an average women in a population during her life

What is founder effect?

occurs when a few individuals start a new population

what is a demographic bottleneck?

occurs when just a few members of a species survive a catastrophic event such as a natural disaster.

pelagic zone

open water above the ocean floor

Which of the following is a biotic population control mechanism?

pathogens

The most important factor in determining the type of biome to develop in a given area of those listed is:

precipitation

Location of specific biomes can be predicted based on

precipitation and temperature

Biomes can be distinguished based on values from the two most important environmental factors. Which of the following abiotic conditions are the biggest determinants of biome location (select all that apply)?

precipitation, temperature, pH, light levels, salinity

Weeds most commonly exhibit which population growth characteristic?

r selected and a pattern that appears as a J-curve on a graph

Oysters spawn hundreds of thousands of eggs and sperm into the water column. Some of these eggs will be fertilized and grow to be larvae. Oysters do not participate in rearing or protecting their offspring. Which life history strategy best describes the oyster?

r-selected speices

characteristic of r-selected species

rapid growth, early maturity, many small offspring, little parental care and protection, little investment in individual offspring, pioneers/colonizers, adapted to unstable environment, niche generalists, prey, regulated mainly by extrinsic factors, low trophic level, short life

what does "r" mean?

rate

characteristics of k-selected species

regulated mainly by intrinsic factors, late maturity, high investment in individual offspring, predators, adapted to stable environment, long life, slower growth, few large offspring, high parental care or protection, niche specialists, later stages of succession, high trophic level

Which of the following characteristics typically leads to DECREASES in total fertility rates; mark all that apply.

rural communities, access to contraception, high costs of education, increased age to get married, increased opportunities for education and work for women

Which of the following types of population curves would best represent a group of elephants that enter a new, open habitat and become a stable part of that ecosystem?

s-shaped curve

Which of the following best accounts for the large increase in population since the 1800?

study increase in number of people capable of reproducing

What are allergens?

substances that activate the immune system

Who is Theodore Roosevelt?

supported forest conservation in order to protect

The biome type that has lost the greatest percentage of its original area due to human activities is the

temperate deciduous forest

repeatability

tests and experiments should be repeatable; if the same results cannot be repoduced, then the colcusions are probably incorrect

The process of science is characterized by

that science normally provides absolute proof

When the similarities in population increases and decreases in prey and predators, it lead us to the conclusion that

the abundance of both the prey and predator can affect the other species

Survivorship is determined by

the percentage of a cohort that survives to a certain age

Only when an explanation has been supported by a large number of tests, and when a majority of experts have reached a general consensus that it is a reliable description or explanation, we call it a scientific _______.

theory

Mangrove trees are found along ________________ shorelines.

topical saltwater

"Environment" can be defined as the circumstances or conditions that surround an organism or group of organisms, or the complex of social or cultural conditions that affect an individual or community.

true

proof is elusive

we rarely expect science to provide absolute proof that a theory is correct, because new evidence may always undermine our current understanding.

parsimony

when 2 plausible explanations are equally reasonable, the simpler one is preferable, also known as Ockham's rule

what does boom and bust mean?

when a population undergoes repeated cycles of overshoots followed by crashes